Naruto and the Moogle Diary
by TTwing
Summary: Story idea that came to me. Hinata buys a special book and reads it with Naruto. What waits for them inside this book?
1. The Book

**This story is taking place a little bit after the exams, so everyone is about 13 years old.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or Naruto.**

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1 - The Book

"What a boring day… I haven't gotten a mission in like, forever!"

The blonde boy strolled through town wondering what to do. He was crossing the small bridge when he heard a faint voice.

"Hmm?"

He turned around to see the purple haired girl running towards him holding this very old book.

"Naruto!! Look what I bought at a book store!"

She finally caught up to him, and panted for breath.

"What is it, Hinata?"

"I-it's this b-book I saw at a book store. It looked p-pretty interesting, S-so I-I wanted to show you." She started blushing and stuttering.

"Cool! Let's take a look!"

They both sat on the side of the bridge and looked at the book. The front was far too faded to read, so Hinata opened to the first page with words. There was no title, It just started. She began to read.

"Seas of black night crash around the wooden vassal upon which two cloaked figures reside. The never ending rain, clouds, and lightning promised them a most unpleasant voyage. The small ship bumped and bashed against the angry waves. The face of a young child, then a frightened mother. A nightmare.

"The face of a beautiful young girl in shock from the dark dream. Such a lovely princess, with long black hair and a silvery dress. She stands from the chair, to look out the window. Greeted by a golden sky and flying doves; the curtains flow elegantly against her soft, silky cheek. The white birds soar high above the city, and her castle. Off in the distances does a large airship glide towards the capital city; floating upon the clouds. The winged mermaid at the bow gazing toward the infinite possibilities. Within this ship, a young man with a simian tail, blonde hair, and a worn garb slides down a pole, and walks into the dark cabin. He lights the candles in the center of the room.

"'Who's there!?' Yells the voice from the other room. 'Zidane!' The young man replies. Three other men run into the room, and greet one another with a stance. Another large person breaks into the room from the opposite door, with a blue dragon's head and neck. These people prepare for battle. The short man with a hammer in hand, Cinna, bashes the head of the dragon-man. A fiery haired young man with a belt around his eyes, Blank, slashes the opponent with steel sword in arms. The third one with hair tied back, and a toothy grin, Marcus, attacks after, with another blade of steel. The dragon-headed one strikes him back this time, yet Zidane repays with a slice of twin daggers. The head is cut in two, revealing it was a man in mask. 'UHGAA! Oh, my head! Go easy, you guys!'"

Naruto was listening intently. He was interested in this story. The words cascaded so sweetly off of Hinata's tongue. She continues.

"All of the people pant for air. The battle, a surprise. Baku, the man that challenged the four, speaks up. 'Hey, fools!' He strolls towards Zidane, kneeling by the table with candles. 'You're lookin' a lot better!' He laughs his bellow, then walks into the room the three were previously in. The others follow inward, sitting around the large table. It was a crowded room full of chests, shelves rugs out of places, small chairs, and a large table in the center with a miniature castle upon it. 'Here's the plan!' shouts Baku. 'Tantalus, the infamous band of daring thieves, (That's us), is headin' to the kingdom of Alexandria… Our mission: to kidnap the heir to the throne, Princess Garnet!' Cinna steps in. 'I'll take it from here, so listen up! Our ship's about to dock at Alexandria… And when it does, we're gonna put on our costumes and perform 'I Want to Be Your Canary,' the most popular play in Alexandria! Break a leg, Marcus! 'Cause you're playin' the lead!' Marcus stands up. 'Leave the actin' to me! Of course, the real kidnappers'll be Blank and Zidane!' Blank is the next to stand. 'I'll distract the audience from backstage with these little buggers!' He holds out a small squishing insect. 'I can't stand oglops… But I'll manage, so don't worry about me! And that'll be your cue, Zidane!' 'Okay! That's when I kidnap Princess Garnet.'

"They all agreed, and the ship had neared Alexandria dock. From below, a young boy in blue robes, and a large hat that hid his face watched the marvelous ship float across the sky. The hat was worn, and the large steeple sagged, tipping back down half-way up it. All that could be made of his face were two large yellow eyes. The rest was pitch black and impossible to see. He walked up the streets of the city when someone bumped him from behind. The boy fell, dropping a ticket. 'Watch where you're going!' Yelled the other person who ran into him. Lifting himself to the ground, this boy wiped the dust off his garb, while a girl picked up his ticket to hand to him. 'You dropped this.' Her kind words echoed in the boy's ears.

"The boy continued forth to a stand, where he handed the ticket to a wolf demi-human. 'Today is the sixteenth birthday of the Princess Garnet, you know.' spoke the ticketmaster. "What's this? There's something odd about this ticket… Why, it's another fake! I've seen so many today.' 'No!!!!!!!!' shouted the steeple-hat wearing boy as he hanged his head in disappointment. 'Now, now. Don't cry. I know how you must feel.' The ticketmaster handed the boy some cards to play with, and apologized that he couldn't see the play. After, this boy walked towards the alley, where he tripped and fell against the stone road. Some other demi-human working on a sign hit it in the wrong spot, and yelled at the boy for making that happen.

"As the man finished, he climbed down a latter and left the alley. A rat demi-human boy entered from the other direction, the same one that knocked into the steeple hat boy earlier. He asked if the ticket was fake, knowing that it was, he offered that the boy be his slave, which he accepted, to be able to see the play. The rat kid picked up the latter used to hang the sign, then ran in the direction he came, with the boy following. They made their way to an old chapel. In the center of the ancient structure was a latter leading up to a bell. As the boy went to a latter, a strange, furry animal dropped on top of him. 'What the heck was that!?' yelled the rat kid. 'Sorry about that, kupo.' it replied. 'That's Kupo, he's a moogle. Kupo, this is slave number 1.' 'Kupo! Nice to meet you!' The rat kid continued to climb the center latter while still holding onto the one he stole before. 'Well, I'll record you in my Moogle Diary.' Kupo spoke happily. He magically created a book and…"

"And…? 'And' What…?" Naruto said in confusion.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. It ends there. The next page is empty."

"Man! What a bummer! I was getting' into it!"

Naruto and Hinata didn't realize the book as they talked. The blank pages started to glow, and when they both looked at it, a pillar of light emitted and engulfed them both. Next thing they knew, they were on the ground in the same chapel they were reading about in front of the boy with the steeple-hat and the moogle. Both also noticed that their clothes were different. Naruto was wearing an orange vest with a blue scarf-like bow around his neck **(Look at a picture of Jude from Wild ARMs 4. Similar to that)**, grey gloves, brown shorts, long grey socks, and brown running shoes. Hinata was wearing a beige sweater with soft fuzz at the bottom **(similar to her jacket, just in sweater form)**, gold colored gloves, light brown shorts, and light brown running shoes.

"Kupo!? What happened!? My book's not supposed to do that, kupo!"

"Man… What happened…?" Naruto stood up.

"My guess is that the memory powers of the Moogle Diary brought you here."

An older moogle in yellow travel clothes, and a bag of scrolls walked towards them.

"Stiltzkin! What's with the getup? Are you leaving?" Kupo spoke.

"Yes actually, but more importantly… It would seem that the power within the Moogle Diary has been awakened. According to moogle myth, it is supposed to connect worlds together. Something these two did must've activated this hidden magic."

"Oh! Naruto, maybe that book was a magic book that brought us here."

"Hey! Slave! I thought I told you to get up here!" The rat kid shouted from on top of the large latter."

"Right, sorry!" The boy yelled and went up the latter.

"Anyway, it should be just as easy to send you back. Just read the Moogle Diary and you should probably return." Stiltzkin told them.

"Shall we go back, Naruto?"

"I wanna see the play first! Let's watch 'I Want to Be Your Canary' first and then we can go back. Is that okay with you, Hinata?"

"S-sure! I'm sure we'll get to see it if we follow that boy and the rat kid."

_Yes! I get to watch a romantic play with Naruto!_

They scurried up the latter to follow the others.

"Just ask Kupo, or any other moogle if you need to go back! They'll let you read the Moogle Diary!" They heard Stiltzkin yell.

Soon enough they were on top of the houses in Alexandria.

"Hey, what's you're name, by the way?"

It was the rat kid talking to the boy in the blue robes and large hat.

"Vivi."

"Cool. My name's Puck. What about you two back there? You're both going to see the play to, might as well get to know you both as well."

"The name is Naruto! Don't forget it!" He shouted.

"I'm Hinata, nice to meet you both."

There was some wooden platform connecting the two near buildings together. Puck, Naruto, and Hinata crossed easily, but Vivi stopped before it.

"What, you're not scared of heights are ya!?" Puck yelled.

"A-a little."

"Don't worry Vivi! You'll be okay!" Naruto supported him.

He nodded, and crossed slowly. After he got to the other side, everyone continued to cross another wood platform.

"Are we gonna go through this every time!?" Puck questioned as Vivi paused before crossing. "It's not gonna fall!"

Vivi crossed slowly, but as he got to the center, it started wobbling. He jumped towards the others as it fell, and Hinata held him by his arms pulling him up.

"Th-thank you, Miss Hinata."

"Don't mention it. You don't have to call me 'Miss" okay?"

She helped him across the many more wooden platforms, until they reached the end. Puck threw the latter across from the buildings to the castle walls.

"Just past here is in the castle. Once we get threw, we're in and can see the play."

They all crossed the latter as if it were a bridge, and got into the audience. The audience started applauding, signaling that they were just in time for the play. As the clapped along with the crowd, the show was about to begin.

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**So, I have two big stories to keep up with. I'm going to send in 1 episode a day of this for a little, to get it going. After that I've created a schedule. I'll submit 1 chapter of this story every Saturday, and 1 chapter of my Persona story every Wednesday. If I can't I'll notify on my main page. I want reviews please!**


	2. Escape

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or Naruto**

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2 - Escape

Naruto and co. watched intensely as the band stared playing, while sparklers, fireworks, and spinners started going off all around the balcony. It lifted into the air as the displays of light sparked all around. The four of them were in awe at the wonderful introduction to the play.

"You can't see anything like this back home, huh, Hinata?"

"N-no, never. I-it's really p-pretty, d-do you think Naruto?"

"Yeah!"

"I can't see anything!" Puck interjected. "Let's go up closer!"

"U-um… I don't think that's a good id--"

"Hey! You're MY slave! You have to do what I say! And I say that we're movin' up closer. Look over there! I bet there's a perfect view from there!"

The four young ones watched, before they decided to move, as a man in large robes with a pink beard came onstage to narrate the beginning of the play.

"Hey, Hinata, do you think that's Baku from the story?" Naruto whispered to her.

"Ah… M-maybe."

He took a bow as the audience gladly applauded his entrance.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" He declared. "Tonight's performance is a story that takes place long, long ago. Our heroine, Princess Cornelia, is torn from her lover, Marcus. She attempts to flee the castle, only to be captured by her father, King Leo. When our story begins, Marcus, having heard this, crosses swords with the king. And now, Your Royal Majesty, Queen Brahne, Your Highness, Princess Garnet. Noble ladies and lords, and our rooftop viewers, Tantalus proudly presents 'I Want to Be Your Canary'!"

The audience cheered, Baku took a long bow, and the orchestra began playing. Naruto and co. walked towards the walkway Puck was talking about, but they stopped again to continue watching the play.

"We shall back thee, kinsman!" Shouted the man, Blank.

"Pray, sheathe thy swords! This villain is mine alone!" Marcus stated.

"Nay, kinsman! For I, too, have lost a brother to this fiend!" Cinna explained.

"What ho? Out, vermin! Away!" King Leo shot at them. "Thou darest bare thy sword before the king!? All who stand in my way will be crush'd!"

"Treacherous Leo, my kinsman's suffering shall not be in vein! For I shall instruct thee in his incomparable pain!" Yelled Zidane.

They engaged in battle, Marcus' group, against two bull demi-humans and King Leo himself. Blank quickly struck the leftmost bull guards, killing him; meanwhile, Zidane started casting magic, and shouted the word "medeo" as Marcus took out the other guard. A giant meteor with a rainbow star path crashed into King Leo. He ran towards Marcus, slashing him with a large blade, yet he remained standing. Cinna started casting a spell, and shouted "pyro" as flames engulfed the now angry king. Blank attacked again after that, so King Leo began casting. He bellowed "poly" as a light consumed Zidane with a large crystal above. He attacked back with his daggers this time, and Marcus finished it with another slash of his blade.

The King staggered up the stage stairs, leading to a pathway above the main entrance.

"Thou hast not seen the last of me, Marcus!" He declared, while limping away.

Zidane started to pursuit him, but Blank stood in front of him.

"No, Blank! Don't betray your friends!" Naruto burst out, though no one in front of them noticed.

"Wow, Naruto, you're really getting into this play!"

"Oh, woops! Sorry, didn't mean to get so into it, Vivi." He gave the boy a warm smile.

"Out of the way, Blank!" Zidane yelled.

"Consider this, Zidane! If Prince Schneider were to marry Princess Cornelia, peace would reign over both kingdoms!"

"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"

Blank began to run in the direction where King Leo left, with Zidane right behind him. At the top, they began to swordfight. Each swing missing, or clashing with the other. Blank leaped off of the walkway back onto the stage, with Zidane following. They ran into the same aisle that Puck wanted to go to, where they began clashing steel yet again.

"En garde!" Shouted Blank.

"Expect no quarter from me!" Zidane replied.

Both participated in an elaborate battle against one another. Back and forth did their blades go. High and low, to and fro. Each of their blades and bodies dancing the art of swordsmanship. The crowd was speechless, and watching intensely. Naruto was practically about to piss himself. He was ecstatic about the swordsmanship.

"I-I didn't know you were s-so interested in swords, Naruto." Hinata stuttered.

The crowd showered the two swordsmen in the local currency, gil. It would seem that just about everyone was impressed by their performance. Blank ran away, with Zidane following behind; however, they ran in the opposite direction. No one seemed to notice.

Puck had continued the groups advance into the same aisle that the two were fighting in. The play was very interesting. Naruto was watching in excitement, Hinata was as well, Vivi was happy he got to see it, and Puck seemed un phased. Time passed, and the play got a lot more interesting. Things became even more interesting though.

Two bull guards were holding Marcus, as King Leo entered the stage.

"Tonight, I shall finally see my daughter Cornelia betroth'd to Prince Schneider! And then Prince Schneider and his kingdom will be mine!" He declared, then let out a large bellow.

"Your Majesty!" One guard said.

"We have caught an intruder!" The other one mentioned.

"Why, my poor Marcus! Hark, lad. No matter how much thou dost treasure Cornelia, no matter how deeply she might believe she doth love thee… Never shall I see her marry a peasant such as thee!"

Just then, the bell started to ring.

"When yon bell strikes three, under the axe thou shall be!"

The bell continued to ring.

King Leo had continued a short speech for Marcus, who basically ignored everything told to him. As he was about finished, two stage lifts rose, one with Zidane and a young woman in a white and pink cloak. The other had a large man in steel armor. There seemed to be a few quick glances of confusion that only Naruto and Hinata really noticed. The man in armor seemed dumbstruck when he looked into the crowd. Marcus broke free from the guards and ran to the woman.

"Cornelia!" He announced, followed by a short pause.

"Oh, Marcus!" She cried.

Her voice was so crisp, soft, and beautiful as it rolled off her tongue. It could melt ice, it was so warm. There was another pause immediately after.

"Oh, Marcus! I missed you so! I wish to never leave thy side. Prithee, lead me from this place!"

"See, King Leo? Thou shouldst give them thy blessing!" Zidane commanded.

"Never! Never leave his side, thou sayest? Foolish banter! I'll not allow it! Cornelia shall marry none other than this man--Prince Schneider! Is that not so, Prince Schneider?"

"M-Marry the princess? Me!?"

"Aye! And this traitorous crew, I will put to death!"

Zidane and Marcus had to fight the two guards, which they immediately won, and the guards retreated.

"Pray, sweet daughter, come home to the castle with me."

"Nay, Father! I shan't return!"

"Cornelia… Trouble me no more. This wedding is for thine own welfare. Be mindful of that."

"Not if I can help it!!!" Marcus interjected. "Now is my moment of vengeance! For my parents, and for my love, Cornelia… I shall cut thee down!"

Marcus drew his sword, and charged towards King Leo, but Cornelia jumped in the way of his blade, and was stuck by her own lover. Naruto was literally jumping up and down in anticipation.

"No… Cornelia!!!" Marcus cried out.

"Mar…cus, forgive me. I still love my father…" She gasped for breath. "Prithee, forgive my selfishness, Father, and spare my sweet Marcus…"

Her struggling body went limb, and stopped moving. Her father and the prince were at her side, in tears. Marcus could only stand there, motionless.

"What have I done!? Am I never to hear her loving voice again!? Am I cursed never again to feel her soft touch!? O, cruel fate! Thou hast robbed me of all I treasure!"

With that he stabbed himself, to the surprise of his friend. The audience was in tears. Not a soul in sight wasn't unhappy. Even Naruto and Hinata sobbed at the sorrowful event.

"Wow, what a show!" Implored Puck.

"Yeah, so sad…" Vivi cried.

"I'm glad we climbed all the way over here. How 'bout you, huh? Uh-oh! Look out!" Puck started to run.

Naruto, Vivi, and Hinata looked over to see two soldiers running towards them, so they ran in the other direction. They all circled around, but Vivi tripped. Naruto and Hinata stopped to help him up, but Puck just ran.

"Fools! I'm outta here!"

Vivi got up, and they were chased towards the stage, while the play continued.

"Forgive me!!!" They heard King Leo shout.

"Princess!!!" Cried Prince Schneider.

Naruto and co. were followed on stage.

"Leave us alone!!!" Vivi yelled at them.

They ran around the stage, and jumped over the group, while the soldiers remained on the other side.

"Don't come any closer!" Vivi threatened.

Naruto and Hinata were amazed that the little boy started to create a fire on his hands and shot it forward. Unfortunately it hit the girl on the ground, and her cloak caught the flame. She started flailing because of the fire. She threw off the burning clothes revealing for all to see that it was Princess Garnet.

"Zidane! It's time!" Baku said, no longer playing as King Leo.

"Princess Garnet! Let's get outta here!" Zidane shouted.

"Wait, didn't the story say that they were kidnapping her?" Naruto whispered to Hinata as they helped up Vivi.

"What… What is going on!?" The angry knight who played Prince Schneider said.

"Steiner! Don't follow me anymore!" The princess scolded.

"Princess! I'm afraid I cannot comply!"

"Stubborn as always, aren't you?" She replied coldly.

"Come on, Princess. Let's ditch Sir Rustalot and get outta here!" Zidane shouted.

He, Marcus, and the princess went over to where Vivi, Naruto, and Hinata were.

"Hey, kids… You guys okay!?" Zidane said.

All of them prepared to fight Steiner as he declared that he couldn't let her go. Zidane quickly struck one of the lesser knights, which caused him to retreat. Naruto pulled out the shuriken Sakura had given him just the other day, and sliced the other guard with it. He, like the other, retreated. Steiner tried yelling at them, but it had no effect. Vivi cast the spell **fire **on Steiner, who got burned, but he countered and struck Vivi with his sword. Hinata gasped.

"How could you strike a child with a sword!?" She was angry with him.

"Don't worry, I'll help!" Garnet told them.

She held her staff up and cast the **cure **spell on Vivi, healing his wounds. He thanked her, and Marcus attacked Steiner. After retaliating, he went for Hinata, but missed. She counted his attack and hit him through his armor. This was enough to make him tired.

"These are only flesh wounds!" He said, panting.

After the fight finished, the airship began to lift off. They were planning on leaving, whether anyone liked it or not. Guards fired harpoon-like spears into the airship, trying to prevent it from escaping. There were screams of terror as the ship moved without control. It smashed into some buildings. Zidane was trying to help Garnet up, while Naruto and Hinata were struggling to stand upright, not used to this kind of motion. Even with their chakra, they couldn't focus it enough at the right spot because the floor was moving. Vivi just fell over, while Steiner was trying to get up to fight more. They were able to see the big elephant herself. Yes, Queen Brahne. She had ordered her knights to fire some large cannon, as the saw the mouth of it being revealed.

"Damn! If that thing fires, we won't be able to escape!" Zidane yelled.

It fired, but rather then strike the ship, a flaming monster broke free of the cannonball, and charged towards the group. Steiner got back up to challenge Zidane, Naruto, and the others; all the while, the monster remained stationary behind Steiner, without him actually realizing it. The group didn't try to take Steiner down, but just protect from his attacks.

"Hey, look behind you!" Zidane shouted.

"I'll not fall for such an old trick!"

"Please, Steiner! Behind you!" Garnet pleaded.

"Surrender at once!"

"This isn't looking good!" Naruto got worried.

"What is that thing?" Hinata wondered.

It kept growing as they fought.

"It's a bomb!" Vivi shouted.

"It's gonna blow!" Marcus warned.

As Steiner finally glanced backward, he noticed the bomb monster and fell to the ground. It got to such the massive size that it exploded, engulfing the entire ship in fire and smoke, But it survived. Through the soot and the black, the airship sailed on, free from the chains. As it moved forward, it lost altitude, and was heading for a forest nearby. They had escaped the city with Princess Garnet.

Queen Brahne will surely be unhappy.


	3. Dark Forest

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or Naruto.**

**I Gave Naruto and Hinata their own "Final Fantasy" abilities, so expect names similar to the powers they have already.**

_Category names - The category of abilities, for example: Black Magic, White Magic, Skill, Sword Arts._

**Ability names - The name of the ability, for example: Fire, Cure, Mental Break, Steal, Flee.**

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3 - Dark Forest

The ship was heading towards a very thick looking forest. The ride was definitely not smooth, as everyone was having trouble just staying onboard. A loud explosion shook the ship, and Zidane fell off the edge, while Garnet tired to grab his hand. She nearly fell, which made Vivi crawl over, but both of their balance was thrown and they fell off in a different part of the forest. Steiner started screaming for her, and wanted to crawl over to where she fell, but his armor made him slide, and he crashed into Naruto and Hinata, dropping them in another part of the forest.

Naruto, Hinata, and Steiner were out cold for a good twenty minutes, but they were finally able to awaken. As soon as they regained consciousness, Steiner stared yelling.

"Princess…? PRINCESS!!! Princess, where are you!?"

He started charging through the wet, damp swamp floor in a panic, with Naruto trying to calm him down. Steiner stopped, eventually, out of breath. While doing that, Hinata activated her bloodline limit, to try and find their friends, but immediately she noticed a monster behind Steiner.

"Look out!" she shouted.

Running behind him, she hit a wolf-like creature in the side as it jumped from the trees at Steiner. Her abilities were able to do enough damage to defeat it two strikes of her palms.

"M-Miss! I had no idea you held such power! You're quite the noble, thank you for assisting me."

"Oh, my name is Hinata. You don't have to call me 'Miss.'"

"Though I surely insist."

They were interrupted by a woman's scream.

"PRINCESS!!!"

Steiner went running in the direction it came from, with Naruto and Hinata right behind him. They saw Vivi on the ground, panting for breath. Steiner took out his sword and went to the plant-like monster that had encaged Princess Garnet above its head in some sort of leaf prison. Zidane came running from the direction that Naruto had come from.

"I couldn't do anything!" Vivi started crying and shaking.

"Release the princess at once!!!" roared Steiner.

Zidane, Naruto, and Hinata joined him as they got ready to fight.

"Like it's really gonna listen to you." Zidane taunted.

"We need to save the princess; this is no time to argue!" Hinata stood up.

"Then let's fight!" Naruto interjected.

Zidane started to glow a pinkish color. In an instant, he was bathed in bright light, and as he was freed, he was glowing pink, and his body seemed to have a different appearance.

"Wh-What is that light!?" Steiner and Naruto said in unison.

" I don't know. Somehow, it raises my power."

"Could it really be Trance…!? I've heard of it before. Trance is induced by a surge of emotion."

"Alright, let's take him!"

The plant monster raised its tentacles and wrapped Garnet with them. There was a surge of power that hurt her, and it lowered its arms again.

"What is that?" Naruto got worried.

"It would look like it drained her life a little… We must save her before it drains the rest!"

Zidane went to try out his power, using the _Dyne_ ability, **Free Energy**. Bursts of powerful energy struck the target, and it seemed to do a lot of damage. Hinata was ready to attack, and used her _Bloodline _ability, **Force Bash**, where she released a burst of chakra from her palms, promising her a critical hit. The creature raised its limbs again to absorb Garnet's life. She started looking pale. Steiner got worried even more, so he tossed a potion at her, healing her back to proper health.

"A healing potion?"

"Yes Miss Hinata. It's always important to carry potions."

The monster struck Steiner with one of his tentacles, but it wasn't very effective due to his thick armor. Naruto threw his shuriken at the prison, hoping to cut her lose, but the monster stopped it with his right stem, and received the damage instead. Zidane hit it with another **Free Energy**. The light around him started to fade, as he changed back to his normal self. The evil flora was weakened, and it reached up into the trees and escaped with Garnet.

"PRINCESS!!!"

"What the heck? Where did they go!?" Zidane kicked a nearby rock into the trees.

"Damn, they got away!"

"She's gone…" Vivi sulked. I was too scared to cast any spells… That monster's probably gonna eat her…"

"Oh no… Poor Princess Garnet…" Hinata cried.

"How could I let this happen!?" Steiner was angry.

"Wait! I know! Hinata, use your Byaku--"

"Sorry, Naruto. I already thought of that, and tried it, but something is strange about this forest. Something is blocking it from working as great as it could. I can't see very far at all in this place."

"Don't worry. She's not dead yet. That monster was only a minion. He's probably gonna take her to his master." Zidane explained.

"That means the princess might still be-- Come! We must go find her at once!"

They were interrupted by a scream from Vivi. The monster returned, and captured him this time.

"Let me go! Help me!"

Vivi started casting magic, and used **Fire **on the enemy below.

"Release him!" Hinata shouted.

She struck the plant with her hands, and dodged a whip of its stem as it tired to counter. Zidane sliced the body with his daggers, while Steiner struck it by its side. The plant absorbed some of Vivi's life, which made him cast **Fire **again. Naruto decided to finish it. He used his **Shadow Clones **ability to make two clones. All three of them jumped over the monster, and hurled their shurikens at it. They went around where Vivi was, and struck the body from three angles, killing it and releasing Vivi.

"Phew… Th-thanks."

Hinata was helping him recover.

"Are you alright?" Zidane asked Vivi.

"Yeah… I think so."

Immediately the monster got back up. Zidane, Naruto, and Hinata were aware that it was preparing a final attack. It secreted a green gas from its nose-like area, which Naruto and Zidane avoided; unfortunately, Hinata didn't jump in time, and she fell unconscious as well as Vivi and Steiner.

"Hinata! Vivi! Steiner!" Naruto gasped.

"Let's take them back to the ship. My friend can help!"

"The ship that crashed? Everyone on there is okay?"

"Yeah, they're doin' fine. Now let's get them back in a hurry. You take Hinata and Vivi, since they're light. I'll take Rusty here."

They carried their friends back to the ship, where they gave them each a place to sleep. Zidane's friend, Blank, gave them each a dose of medicine that would remove the seeds that the monster implanted in them. Steiner was in another room, while Vivi and Hinata were in a real bedroom. Naruto stayed with her to make sure she would be okay. After Blank gave her the medication, he had Vivi drink it as well.

"You guys are lucky. If it weren't for Zidane and Naruto, you three'd be dead. Some of the monsters in this forest reproduce by planting seeds in other animals. And when the seeds sprout, it's hasta la vista: you become beef jerky."

"Yeesh! This place is worse then the nasty forest we have back home…" Naruto blurted out.

"No kidding… Getting stuck in this forest is the worst case scenario for just about everything. They say that no one has ever gone in and come back out."

"Um… A-Am I gonna die?" Vivi whimpered."

"No. You're gonna be fine. Drink all the medicine, and it'll remove all the seeds from your body. Hinata made sure to drink all of hers to, even though it tasted as nasty as Orochi looks. She and Vivi decided to rest a little, since they were still feeling weak. Naruto got some food from Blank. There wasn't much, and it surely wasn't ramen, but it was enough to make him feel better. He slowly nibbled on the bread.

_There was a moogle outside the ship. Me and Hinata could go back home when she feels better, but I really want to help the princess. I'm sure Hinata wants to do the same. I think I'll talk about staying here to help her until she gets home, or wherever she needs to go._

He spent a while thinking about what to do while Hinata rested. Just as they were waking up, Zidane and Steiner walked into the room.

"Well, guys, we're ready to go look for the princess."

"Really!? That's great! Be careful, okay?" Vivi said.

"Actually, we want you to come with us, too. All three of you."

"I'm up for it! I want to help you save the princess!! Believe it!"

"I'd also like to help her."

"Huh!? B-But I can't do anything." Vivi sounded confused.

"Hardly, Master Vivi. Your magic was highly effective against the monster. In all honesty, I hold your power in greater esteem than I do this scoundrel's. Miss Hinata's as well. You and her are much more reliable then this ruffian."

"Where am I on the list?" Questioned Naruto.

"Above him, but not much higher…"

"Hey! I take offence to that!"

He ignored Naruto, and Hinata giggled.

"B-But… I'm scared. I couldn't even move last time."

"Please, Master Vivi! For the sake of Princess Garnet and all of Alexandria, I humbly request your assistance!"

"Come on! You're a black mage, for crying out loud! Show us what you've got!" Zidane explained.

"Alright, let's go! Trust us, Vivi. The two of us have seen those who can fight, and you definitely have a lot of power. Believe it!"

The five of them left, in search for the Princess Garnet. Blank stopped them at the exit.

"Zidane! Here."

"What's this?"

"The medicine I gave the knight, black mage, monk, and ninja. It will remove the seeds from the princess once you save her."

"Thanks, Blank. What would I do without you?"

"Die in pain. What else?"

They all said their goodbyes, and headed for the forest. They would save Garnet no matter what.


End file.
